George Clooney recently showered praise on his Jay Kelly co-star, Adam Sandler. In a new interview, Clooney praised Sandler’s talent as their new film gets ready to premiere. Calling him a “wonderful actor,” Clooney expressed admiration for Sandler and his work.
George Clooney defends Adam Sandler in new interview
George Clooney has publicly come to Adam Sandler’s defense, highlighting his performance in their upcoming Netflix film, Jay Kelly. In a new interview with Vanity Fair, Clooney strongly pushed back against those who continue to dismiss Sandler’s work and praised his performance in Noah Baumbach’s upcoming film.
“This film, more than any film Adam has done, shows what a beautiful, heartfelt, soulful actor he is,” Clooney told the outlet. Speaking to the cast during production, Clooney said he repeatedly urged them not to treat Sandler as just a comedian. He explained, “I kept telling the cast, ‘Don’t call him Sand Man. Don’t talk to him like he’s just some goofy comedian. He’s actually a really beautiful, wonderful actor.’”
Clooney acknowledged that Sandler’s reputation has been shaped by his work in commercially successful comedies. He said, “Because of what his paycheck is, which is doing big goofy comedies, when he does these other, beautiful, ‘Uncut Gems’ kinds of movies, it reminds people of that. He’s not just a good comedian.”
In Jay Kelly, Sandler plays the dedicated manager of Clooney’s character, a movie star named Jay Kelly. Kelly travels to Italy to accept a lifetime achievement award at a film festival, even as his personal life unravels. The film features a star-studded ensemble, including Laura Dern as Jay Kelly’s publicist, along with Billy Crudup, Riley Keough, Jim Broadbent, and Greta Gerwig.
Jay Kelly will premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival on August 28. It will then release in U.S. theaters on November 14, followed by a global debut on Netflix on December 5.
Originally reported by Disheeta Maheshwari on ComingSoon.
